Seed-dropping mechanism.



' PATENTED APR. 14, 1903;

A. G. LINDGREN. SEED DROPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1903.

, {SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

- ammtoz of Illinois, have invented afnew and useful To all whom it may concern.-

} UNITED ST TES- PATENT OFFIC AL XUs c. 'LINDGREN, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOLINE PLOW COMPANY, A CORPORATION 'OFILLINOIS SEED-DROPPING MECHANISM.

SPEGI ICATIQN forming part of Letters Patenthio. 725,460, dated April 14, 1903. Application filedllanuary 15,1902. SeritlNo.1 39,137. n more Be it known that I,-ALEXUS O. 'LINDGREN, of Moline, countyofRock'Island,fand State Improvementin Seed-Dropping Mechanisms, of which the followin'gisaspecification.

This inventionrelates to seed -dropping mechanisms of the type'employed in planting corn, in which the kernels from an overlying mass ofseed in'the' hopper entercells' in a rotary seed-'platein the bottom of the hopper and standing on edgein the cells are carried around'to the point of delivery, where they are discharged, one from each cell. The kernels thus individually discharged are by suitable mechanism accumulated in'quantigrains-are dropped together at predeterminedpoints in the ground. In mechanisms ,operating in this manner it is-of the utmost importance that the seed-plate deliver but a single kernel at a time intothe discharge-,opening asthe cells pass bythesame in succession and also that therebe no interruption in this action otherwise the accumulation of-' grains will comprise too many. or too few: kernels.

In practice it has been found that the best results are accomplished if the seed-plate is arranged at, the bottom of a channel of such size and shape asto allow; the: grains to arrange themselvesin promiscuous and indis-- criminate positions, and to insure the entrance of the kernelsjfrom this channel into the cells in an edgewiseposition and with unfailing certainty demands a seed-plate-ofpeculiar formand constructionandbearing a peculiar relation to the overlying channel.

The overlying channel is of general flaring form in cross-section-that is tosay, it is composed of outer-andinner'walls, which slope downward toward each other-and the seed-plate ,is arrangedat their nearest point of approach, which seed-plateis, in accordance with-my invention, formed with a downwardly and outwardly sloping surface forming a continuation of the sloping inner wall of the channel and constituting, in effect, a

movable bottom section of said inner wall,

the action of which is to greatly facilitate the 'inafter described and claimed.

cupying an advanced position.

ventingitufrom being dischargedfwith the other, andthis is accomplished-by a cut-off cooperating with a peculiar formation of the cell, as will be more fully described hereinafter and constituting the main feature of .my invention.

My invention thereforeconsists, first, ofa seed-plate provided witha sloping surface constituting a movable inner wall of a channel inwhich the grains may arrange themselves promiscuouslybefore entering the cells v in the plate; secondly, of a'seed-plate having cells of a form which will receive the kernels on" edge and peculiarly constructed to faciligtate the action of the cut-off in removing from the cell any other than a single kernel occupying its proper position therein; thirdly, in

combination witha plate formed with cells of this peculiar construction, a surface eXten'ding over the discharge-opening and arranged ,with relation to the path of the cells, that in the event of the cut-01f failing to remove the extra kernel the latter will be pushed onto this surface and-advanced over and beyond. ithedischarge-opening.' f I The invention consistsalso in thedetails of construction and combination of parts here- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section through a hopperbottom having m yinvention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a top plan view looking down into the hopper adjacent to the cut-offi' Fig.' 3 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale,

on the line a a of Fig.2. Fig.4'is a plan-view looking into the hopper at the point where the grains are discharged from the cells. Fig. 5 is a" similar View showing the seed-plate oc- Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the seed-plate removed,

ICO

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are elevations of a portion of the seed-plate and the cut-off, showing the progressive action of the cut-off in removing the extra kernel.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a hopper, which is adapted to receive a supply of seed to be planted, and 2 represents a seeddischarge mechanism in the form of a rotary ring, which for the purpose of uniformity of description I will term the seed-plate. This plate is situated in the hopper-bottom and is provided with seed-cells 2, adapted to receive from the mass of overlying seed the kernels on edge and deliver the same one at a time through a discharge'opening 3 in the bottom of the hopper, which opening communicates with a delivery-throat 4 in a casting or frame 5', and this throat in turn directs the seed into the conduitin the runner,(notshown,)whence they pass into the ground.

The hopper-bottom immediately over the seed-ring is formed with an annular channel 6, which channel comprises an outer fixed inwardly and downwardly sloping wall 7 and an inner downwardly and outwardly sloping wall 8, these'two walls constituting a channel of flaring form of cross-section in which the seed arrange themselves and settle in indiscriminate positions and from which they enter the cells in edgewise positions, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The outer wall of this channel is formed by a bottom ring 9, which gives support to the hopper and rests on the frame 5, being provided at one side with the discharge-opening 3, before alluded to. Below this sloping'surface 7 the inner surface of this ring extends vertically downward, as at 10, which vertical surface constitutes the outer walls of the seed-cells, and from the bottom of this surface the ring extends inward horizontally, as at 11, which horizontal surface constitutes the bottoms of the seed-cells and affords a ledge on which the seed-plate rotates,which latter is driven by a geat ring 12, interlocked therewith and supported by the frame 5 and receiving motion from a pinion 13 in the usual manner.

The inner wall of the channel 6 is formed partly by a fixed cap-plate 14, sustained by the hopper and covering the interior of the seed-plate and serving to support the body of the overlying seed in the hopper. The outer edge of this cap-plate extends outwardly and downwardly for the main portion of its height and then a short distance vertically, as at 15, to the upper edge of the seedplate, where it terminates and exposes the outer edge of this plate, which outer edge is sloped outward and downward, as at 16, and forms a continuation of the sloping surface of the cap-plate and meets the lower edge of the outer surface 7 of the channel 6. It is seen, therefore, that the: sloping surface on the seed-plate constitutes, in effect, a movable bottom section of the inner wall of the channel (5, and in practice it has been found that this moving surface inclining outward and downward aids in connection with the sloping outer wall to the greatest extent in effecting the entrance of the kernels on edge into the cells from the mass of overlying indiscriminately-arranged seed in the, channel 6.

The seed-cells 2, before alluded to, are formed at intervals in the sloping surface of the seed-plate by cutting or recessing the same vertically, which recesses extend the entire height of the plate, leaving between them solid sections of the sloping surface, the ends of which sections constitute the end walls of 'the cells, while the outer walls and bottoms of the cells are formed by the bottom ring 9 and the inner walls by the seed-plate itself.

By reason of the provision of the sloping sn 1'- face on the seed-plate it is necessary to make the cells of considerable depth and of course much deeper than if this sloping surface were omitted, and when of such depth it has been found that two grains usually occupy a cell,

both on edge and one on top of the other, as shown in Fig. 7. This condition and action of the kernels demands that the upper one,which for convenience of description I will term extra kernel, be removed before the discharge is reached by the cell in order that but one kernel will be delivered by each cell.

The removal of this extra kernel is effectedby a cut-off 18, Figs. 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9, consisting of a yielding finger mounted in the cap-plate and extending downward into the channel 6, with its end shaped to bear against the sloping surface of the seed-plate, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. In order, however, that this finger may act with unfailing certainty in removing the extra kernel notwithstanding the unusual depth of the cells, I propose to reduce the height of the rear wall of the cells, as at 19, and to form as a rearward con-..

tinuation of said reduced wall a horizontal surface or shelf 20, formed by cutting out or recessing the forward ends or portions of the solid sections of the sloping surface of the plate. These shelves being about the height of the properly-seated kernel readily receive the extra kernal, as the plate in its rotation carries the extra kernel against the cut-off finger (see Figs. 7 and 8) and the latter maintaining engagement with the kernel pushes it along the shelf, up the rear end of the same, which gradually inclines upward, as at 21, and finally joins the upper surface of the plate. It is seen, therefore, that while securing the advantages of the sloping surface of the plate in facilitating the entrance of the kernels into the cells on edge I by means of the peculiar form of the plate at,

the rear ends of the cells, as described, prevent the unusualdepth of the cells incident to the sloping surface from interfering with the action of the cells in delivering each a single kernel into the discharge-opening, and this is the main feature of my invention.

I The reduced rear end wall of the cells is inclined rearward slightly, so that its tend-z I ency will be to hold thegrain down as the lat- 'ter is carried around to the point of discharge.

It may sometimes happen that the kernel standing on end will raise the cut-off finger high enough to allow the extra kernel to pass under it, and in order that in this event this extra kernel may be prevented from entering the discharge-opening with the properlyseated kernel the discharge-opening has projecting over it and formedas a continuation of the outer wall? of the channel a surface.

' 25, Figs. 1, 4, and 5, which surface extends adjacent to the path of the seed-cells and in" such position that theextra kernel will pass onto it and be carried over and beyond the discharge-openin g and into the mass of seed in the channelbeyond, the properly-seated kernel at the same time-passing beneath the surface 25 and finding its proper exit through the discharge-opening. As the extra kernel, which has passed beneath the cut-off, ap-

proaches this surface 25 it, encountering its plate having therein cells with one end wall less in height than the other end wall, and means forrotating said plate so that the higher wall will travel in advance of the other.

2. In a seed-dropping mechanism, thecombination with a cut-ofi, of a rotary seed-plate provided with seed-cells each of whichiis formed at one end with a shelf on aplane below the upper edge of the cell, and means for rotating the plate in-relation to the cut-off that each cell will pass the cut-off in ad Vance of its shelf; whereby the extra kernel inthecell will be forced onto the shelf.

3. In a seed-dropping mechanism a rotary seed plate having therein seed-cells with their rear end walls less'in height than the front end walls, and provided with ahorizontal shelf extending rearward from the upper end of a the rear wall.

4. In a seed-dropping mechanisma rotary seed-plate'having therein cells with their-rear" walls inclined rearwardand downward.

5. In a seed-dropping mechanism a rotary seed-plate having therein cells with their front end walls of greater heightthan the rear end walls, and the latter inclining rearward and downward.

6. In a seed-dropping mechanism a rotary seed-plate having therein seed-cells formed at the rear ends with a shelf "on a plane below the upper edge of the cell, said shelf sloping upward at its rear end.

7. In a seed-dropping mechanism the combination with a hopper-bottom formed with an outer downwardlyand inwardly sloping wall, 7, of a rotary seed-plate, mounted in said hopper, and having its outer edge sloping downwardly and outwardly and meeting the lower edge of wall 7, seed-cells formedat in-. tervals int-he sloping edge of the seed-plate, and a cap-plate overlying the seed-plateand provided with a circular edge slopingupthe seed-plate and forming a continuation of theexposed edge of the seed-plate; whereby there is presented immediately over the cells a flaring channel, the outer wall being formed by the hopper-bottom, while the'inner wall is formed jointly by the seed-plate plate.

8. In a seed-dropping mechanism the combination with a hopper-bottom formed with a channel having its outer wall sloping downward and inward, of a seed-plate at thebottom of said ohannelprovided-with adownwardly and outwardly-slopingsurface and and the capwardly and inwardly. from the upper edge of with seed-cells having their rear end wall less I in height than thefront wall, and formed at their rear ends with a shelfextending rearward, a cut-off extendinginto the channel,

the front high wall of eachce1lwill pass by the cut-0E in advance of its lower rear'wall.

9. In combination with ahopper-bottom provided i with a discharge opening. and formed with a channel for the indiscriminate and means for rotating the seed-plate so that IOO collection of seed, said bottom having a sur face projecting outward beyond the general I surface and over the discharge-opening, a

seed-plate in thebottom of the hopperhaving,

oells. formed with rear walls less in' height than the front walls, andprovided at theirrear ends with shelves arranged below the upper edge of the cells, and means for rotat ing the seed-plate so that the high wall will pass the discharge-opening in advance of the lower wall. 1 a 10. In a seededropping mechanism the combination of a seed-platei-formed with seedcells ofasize adapted to hold two grains on edge oneon top of. the other, said cells hav: ing at their rearends a supporting-surface in position to receive the upper kernel,-a cutoff and means for rotating the plate in relation to the cut-oif to advance the upper kernel against the cut -off whereby it .willkbe.

pushed-onto th'e supporting-surface.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 12th day of January, .1903, in the presence of two attesting witnesses- Witnesses:

L. O. BLANDING,

P. M. PRICE. i

v ALEXUs oqt nneann. 

